The Journey
by samhaincat
Summary: Milah rescues Sam from a life of drudgery and takes her onboard the Jolly Roger, after Milah dies, Sam helps Hook in his quest for revenge while looking for her long lost twin brother. (no slash)


**The Journey**

_A/N: A AU 3 part story written for a fellow Hook Lover._

Sam scrubbed the decks of the Jolly Roger anxiously keeping watch for Milah and the Captain. The decks didn't really need scrubbing but she was so terrified of what could happen that she didn't really know what else to do.

Last night the Captain and the crew had returned after visiting the local taverns. The Captain had looked more upset than she had ever seen him. Milah had taken one look at his pale face, grabbed his hand and pulled him below.

Sam was able to discern from the other crew members that they had encountered the Dark One, who before gaining that title had been Milah's husband. Milah had left him and her son when she met and fell in love with the Captain. Sam couldn't blame her, there was something magical about the Captain. He was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, and he was a fair and just Captain. Tobias, one of the crew told her that the Dark One had challenged the Captain to a duel. No-one ever survived a duel with the Dark One. He was merciless.

The following morning the Captain left at dawn to participate in the duel. She overheard him imploring Milah to stay safe on the ship. She yelled at him but he had begged and she relented. However a short while later, her obvious love for the Captain made her change her mind. She grabbed the hat from the captive being held below and had gone after her beloved pirate.

Sam found herself exhaling with relief when she saw Milah and the Captain return but then a knot formed in her throat when she saw that he was heavily leaning on her. He was hurt. She wanted to run to him but she knew it wasn't her place. Milah shouted for some water for him and Sam leapt into action. She grabbed a chalice and filled it from the nearby keg. She handed it to him, noting the pained expression in his sky blue eyes as he took a deep swallow. Disguised as she was as a young male crew member he had no idea of her feelings for him. Milah on the other hand knew who she really was and at her request kept her secret. Milah was the one who had rescued her from her life of foraging in the forest.

Sam had had a home, with a wonderful family who took her in when they found her abandoned as a babe with a note stating she and her twin brother could not be provided for after their parent's had been killed by a fever. When her adopted father died in an accident and her adopted mother married a drunken lout who was constantly groping her, she made the decision to leave and live on her own as best she could. It was on one of her trips to town to sell wild mushrooms and herbal poultices that Milah came across her and took pity. She invited her to sail with them. Sam didn't want a handout so she disguised herself as a boy with Milah's help and became a young crew member.

She and Milah became friends. Milah told her about her own life and how she had no choice after being orphaned to marry the first man that offered to take care of her. She explained he had been kind and she cared for him but she never respected him and his actions and she was very unhappy with her life. Then she met Killian and for the first time in her life fell in love. Never a day had gone by when she didn't miss her son, but she said he had a father who loved him and she couldn't bear taking him away from his father. She had begged Killian to take her away and let her lead the life she wanted. He admired her courage and her desire to escape the confines that she had been born into.

The Captain suddenly looked shocked and handed her the chalice back. He spoke quietly. "Quickly go below and hide."

She looked over to Milah and saw that a slightly built man had followed them. A shiver worked its way up her back - the Dark One. He looked downright reptilian. The Dark one was angry and his eyes were blazing, She quickly moved away but she couldn't do as her Captain had ordered. She had to stay close by in case there was anything she could do to help the two people in the world she cared the most about.

The masts suddenly started creaking a blowing about wildly. The Captain started running towards Milah but he was thrown against the mast and magically tied there. Sam's heart leapt into her throat. She had never seen magic before so when the Dark One reached into Milah's chest and pulled out a beating heart she almost fainted. The Captain screamed but Dark One didn't care. The Captain somehow managed to tear loose from his bonds and sank to the ground cradling Milah as she fell. When Sam looked back at the Dark One she saw dust flying from his hand as he crushed Milah's heart. Sam couldn't hear what was being said but she saw the flash of a sword and the Captain's left hand landed at the demons feet. The captain grabbed the nearest weapon, which was a hook and leapt at the Dark One but the demon just disappeared with a giggle.

The Captain just stood there looking stricken and lost, he clutched the hook in his remaining hand then turned, his eyes landing on Milah's body. He seemed to freeze.

With eyes blurred with tears Sam ran over to Milah, she was so pale and lifeless. She choked back the sob that threatened to rise. Her only friend in the world lay dead in front of her. Then almost like whisper in the wind she heard "Sam you need to take care of Killain for me, please' then it was gone. She wiped her face and looked up, he still stood staring down at Milah, his black hair mussed by the wind his expression unreadable. The stump where his hand had been was slowly dripping blood. She got up grabbed him by the arm and led him down to his quarters. She yelled at the men "Set sail, we need to get out of here in case he gets back.'

Why they listened to her as the young lad they believed she was, she never knew but she suspected like herself they were in shock over what had transpired.

She got him sitting on the edge of his bed as she hunted for strips of cloth to bind his wound. Then she ran to her own quarters to get the healing herbs she had in her possession and ground them with water into a paste. She returned quickly to find him exactly where she had left him.

"Leave me!' he said in that voice he used when giving orders.

She stood in front of him defiantly, her chest heaving, tears still drying on her cheeks. "No."

His eyes blazed with terrible lights. "Lad, unless you want to die this day, obey me!'

"There has been enough dying today and I'm not a lad, Milah likely saved my life when she rescued me a year ago. She wanted to give me a chance as you once gave her. " She ripped her hat off her short brown hair and wiped the grime from her face. "She was my best friend, I loved her and she wouldn't want me to dessert you right now. Your injury needs to be wrapped or you will get an infetion."

He looked at her as if she had suddenly grown horns. Then he winced and he gasped, "Milah never ceased to amaze me. Aye lass you can stay and bind it."

She knelt in front of him and with some water cleaned his wound as best she could. His eyes closed tightly but he made no sound. She applied the poultice and as gently as she could wrapped the clean cloths around the stump tying them just below his elbow.

Then she pulled a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders.

He spoke to her then in a hoarse strained voice. "Be a good lass, go upstairs and tell my men to prepare Milah's body for burial." He swallowed heavily and clenched his jaw.

She didn't want to leave him but she realized he might want to me alone to grieve. She nodded and went upstairs. The men all gaped at her when they realized she was female but she ignored their stares and gave them the Captain's orders. Then she went to Milah's body and with the small knife she carried on herself at all times, she clipped a lock of her beautiful dark wavy hair. Then she held Milah's cold hand in her own and said in a choked voice, "I will miss you, my friend and I promise I will look out for your Killian as long as he lets me." She bent down a placed a kiss on her forehead as tears streamed down her face. She realized that the Captain should say his goodbyes before she was wrapped in cloth. She hurried back down and cautiously entered not wanting to interrupt him but he hadn't moved.

"Killian," she said softly. His eyes bolted up to hers and she realized she had accidently called him by his given name not his title. "Sorry, Milah always called you Killian it just came out of my mouth without thought. Captain…I "

"You can call me Killian." He said wearily.

She chewed on her lip wondering how best to say what needed to be said. "I gave the men your orders but you need to go and say your goodbyes first."

He shook his head. "She's gone, I said goodbye the moment he crushed her heart. He will pay for what he did, I will make him pay or die trying."

A fire shone from his eyes that scared her. How could she keep her promise to Milah to take care of him when he was determined to wreak vengeance against someone who was immortal.

She noticed that while she had been upstairs he had somehow fashioned the hook as an attachment that could be put onto the end of his wrist. He hadn't done that yet as she was sure it was still far too painful and her healing poultice had not yet worked.

She braced herself and tried again. "Don't you want to go and look upon her one last time, tell her you loved her and say goodbye?'

His voice was choked as he whispered. "She told me she loved me just before he crushed her heart, My throat had closed and I couldn't say it back to her."

She went and sat beside him. "She knew you loved her, we talked so many times. She told me just today after you had left to go into town that if she died today she would die as the happiest woman in the world." Sam's voice cracked near the end and tears welled up in her eyes again. She sniffed and pulled out the lock of hair from her pocked. Wordlessly she handed it to him. He audibly winced and put his hand over his face. With Milah's words echoing in her head she put her arms around him and held him till he stopped shaking.

Later he took the lock of hair and put it in the top drawer of the stand beside the bed. He was pale but the look on his face determind. He looked at her. "Ready lass."

She nodded knowing what would happen next. They went up on deck, Milah's shrouded body lay on the plank, Killian stared out to sea for a long while before he nodded to his men to send her body into the sea.

Sam watched him closely but no emotion crossed his face. Then he calmly spoke to the prisoner and learned his name was William Smee and then in answer to his question he tossed a small white bean overboard, warned his men they were heading into bumpy seas, clasped the hook to the end of his wrist and declared their destination to be Neverland, with a small smile that vanished as quickly as it had come.

With a deep breath Sam stood near the Captain as he steered the ship into a twirling spinning hole in the ocean.


End file.
